Chapter 347: "You sure have many talents, being a cook and a blacksmith."

Chapter 347: "You sure have many talents, being a cook and a blacksmith."

The Eighth Rank Heavenly Tribulation, "Heavenly Invader," had been triggered by others besides the former sect master of the Mock Heaven Sect, but none had successfully passed through it. As far as he knew, only the former sect master had managed to overcome it.

And the Ninth Rank Heavenly Tribulation was unprecedented.

Jiang Buying's expression grew complex as he gazed at Chen Qiu, who patiently awaited the formation of the tribulation clouds high in the sky. Judging from the current situation, there was no doubt that the Ninth Rank Tribulation was imminent.

Just then—

An elderly man beside him looked at Jiang Buying in astonishment, his eyes widening at the large ladle in his hand, "Which restaurant are you from? Are the standards for chefs this high these days? A True Immortal working as a cook?"

"What?"

Jiang Buying rolled his eyes in annoyance and casually tossed the ladle into the air, "Haven't you seen a True Immortal as a cook before? Then your experience is truly limited. Have you heard of a cook who entered the path of immortality and became an Immortal Emperor? An Immortal Emperor Chef!"

After ten years of being a cook, he was getting bored. He decided to find a new occupation for the next decade.

During these ten years, he had also advanced his cultivation to the True Immortal stage, not by choice but because the Heaven Immortal Peak was somewhat inconvenient in a Sixth Rank Immortal World. So, he took the opportunity to break through.

If he continued cultivating beyond this point, he would reach a bottleneck. Normally, it would take at least several hundred years to cultivate to the Golden Immortal stage.

He didn't have that much time. If he confirmed his participation in the battle, he would ask Chen Qiu for his body and restore his cultivation to the Half-step Immortal Emperor level.

There was still nearly a millennium before the Heavenly Dao's awakening, and if he decided to fight, his remaining lifespan would be just a thousand years. He wanted to fulfill his lifelong dreams within this millennium.

However, after careful thought, he realized he didn't have any specific dreams. His only desire was to experience the various lifestyles this world had to offer, which might be his sole motivation.

If he had to add some value, it would be to avenge his old friends and witness the fall of the Heavenly Dao, given the chance.

At that moment—

Everyone's attention was drawn to the already-formed tribulation clouds. Countless thunder dragons roared and surged within, like the most direct rage of heaven and earth!

"Boom!!!"

Amid the rumbling thunder, a lightning bolt as thick as a water pillar struck Chen Qiu directly! This Sixth Rank Heavenly Tribulation was different from the previous ones. There was no pause between the first and second tribulation lightning, and even between the nine tribulations, there was no respite. Normally, the ninth tribulation lightning was the most powerful, and it often required a long period of brewing.

But this time!

In just an instant, nine consecutive tribulation lightning bolts struck without pause!

Jiang Buying narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing something unusual. Just then, the elderly man who had been surprised by his cooking skills spoke in a hoarse voice, his face filled with shock, "It's the Sixth Rank Tribulation, 'Heavenly Invader,' one of the most ferocious among the Sixth Rank Tribulations. Although it's not the strongest, it has the highest mortality rate!"

The old man's words drew the attention of the crowd, and many turned to listen to his explanation.

As for Chen Qiu, he had disappeared from sight, buried deep in the pit created by the nine tribulation lightning bolts, his fate unknown.

"The Sixth Rank Tribulation has several variations, and the reason the 'Heavenly Invader' has the highest mortality rate is that its nine tribulation lightning bolts are unleashed in an instant, leaving no room to catch one's breath. This means that without thorough preparation, all defenses will be completely shattered in a flash."

"The main reason is the lack of any warning signs. Normally, when facing the first tribulation lightning, cultivators don't use too many methods to overcome it, and some even rely solely on their bodies to endure it, reserving their more potent methods for subsequent, more powerful tribulations. This is a common practice, and it's usually effective."

"But the 'Heavenly Invader' tribulation takes advantage of this weakness, unleashing all the tribulation lightning bolts in one go, leaving no time to react, and death is certain!"

"What a pity."

The old man sighed as he looked at the distant pit, "Given Chen Qiu's ease in overcoming the Fourth and Fifth Rank Tribulations, especially with his current surge in cultivation, he should have had no problem with this Sixth Rank Tribulation."

"But unfortunately, he was caught off guard. I saw that he didn't even have time to activate his protective spiritual energy, which suggests a grim outcome."

"Hmm."

Jiang Buying looked at the old man in surprise, not expecting to find someone so knowledgeable about the 'Heavenly Invader' Tribulation in such a remote place.

The Sixth Rank Tribulation was a niche topic.

Most people never even had the chance to encounter a First Rank Tribulation in their lifetime, let alone a Sixth Rank Tribulation. It was a highly specialized subject, especially when considering it was just one of the many variations of the Sixth Rank Tribulation.

However, Jiang Buying chose not to comment on the old man's assessment.

If Chen Qiu could die in such a place, it would truly be a surprise to the Mock Heaven Sect's sect master.

The next moment—

A deep and resonant voice echoed throughout the Extinction Immortal Realm:

"Heavenly Dao Proclamation: The Heavenly Dao senses that in the Tide Province of the Extinction Immortal Realm, Chen Qiu, the sect master of the Mock Heaven Sect, the Heavenly Dao Sage, the Heavenly Dao Villain, the Guardian Deity of the Human Race, the World-Defying Talent, and the Heavenly King Chen Qiu, has successfully overcome the Sixth Rank Tribulation, 'Heavenly Invader,' at the peak of True Immortal cultivation!"

"He is the first in the history of the Extinction Immortal Realm to overcome the 'Heavenly Invader' Tribulation, and the first cultivator across all continents to overcome the Sixth Rank Tribulation at the True Immortal stage."

"This proclamation shall echo throughout the Extinction Immortal Realm and all its lower-ranked continents."

"He is bestowed with the unique First-Rank Spirit Treasure, the 'Heavenly Invader Lightning.'"

"Let the people of the world take note, but there is no need to follow this example; merely observe and learn."

Jiang Buying shrugged and chuckled softly, remembering what he had said earlier. Sure enough, Chen Qiu emerged from the pit unharmed, standing tall amidst the astonished onlookers.

Don't mention injuries, not even his clothes were damaged.

His tall figure stood in the void, lightly patting the dust off his clothes, and after scanning his surroundings, his entire body slowly disappeared, once again leaving no trace.

And this time, under the watchful eyes of the masses, the tribulation crossing allowed the people of Extinction Immortal Realm to have a clear understanding of Chen Qiu's strength once more.

"Father."

In a corner, Wei Er Gong cautiously tugged at his father's sleeve, "Was I really going to challenge this person back then?"

Back then, under the instigation of that woman, he went alone to the Fifth Rank Immortal World to duel with Chen Qiu.

At that time, he was at the peak of True Immortal cultivation, while Chen Qiu was merely at the Earth Immortal stage. Yet, with just one move, he was defeated by Chen Qiu. If not for Chen Qiu's mercy, he wouldn't be able to stand here talking right now.

That was when he first realized that a Fusion Kill Move could defeat a True Body, which was utterly absurd.

Many years had passed since then.

His cultivation had reached the initial stage of Golden Immortal, and Chen Qiu's cultivation had also reached the initial stage of Golden Immortal after this tribulation crossing. Back then, Chen Qiu, at the Earth Immortal stage, could easily defeat him using Fusion Kill Moves. Now, defeating him would be even easier, no different than squashing an ant.

"Hmm."

Wei Family Patriarch also nodded with a complex expression. Back then, he befriended Chen Qiu, mainly because he valued Chen Qiu's potential. He believed that Chen Qiu would definitely rise in the future, but he never expected Chen Qiu to develop so quickly.

When Chen Qiu ascended, he even arranged a plan for himself. If any reckless force bullied Chen Qiu, he would immediately step forward to protect Chen Qiu and find a way for Chen Qiu to owe the Wei Family a favor.

But the result was...

As soon as he ascended, a Fourth Rank and a Fifth Rank Tribulation directly silenced the Extinction Immortal Realm.

Not only were there no reckless forces bullying Chen Qiu, but in the following ten years, they hadn't even seen Chen Qiu's shadow. Chen Qiu never showed up in the Extinction Immortal Realm, completely disregarding things like secret realms, opportunities, and the title of the number one under heaven.

And when Chen Qiu reappeared, the strength he displayed was already beyond Wei Family Patriarch's reach. In this situation, trying to sell Chen Qiu a favor was almost impossible.

He had originally hoped to ride on Chen Qiu's coattails and help the Wei Family rise further, but now it seemed they had thought too much. They couldn't keep up with Chen Qiu's growth.

What comforted him was that after that incident, his son's mind seemed to gradually open up, and he even became brave and resourceful. This was truly a miracle, and it ensured that the Wei Family Patriarch's position could be passed down to his son without any dispute.

After crossing the tribulation, Chen Qiu left the crowd's sight using Absolute Invisibility and returned to Cao Tian Palace.

He indeed didn't react in time.

He had crossed tribulations countless times, but none were like this. However, even without reacting in time, he was fine. With the Thunder Robe, thousands of billions of merit points, and the effects of numerous entries, he easily withstood it.

The reward was also quite useful.

The unique-grade reward, "Heavenly Invader Lightning," a type of Spirit Thunder, could increase the defense of his Thunder Robe and significantly enhance the power of his thunder-based spells. But still, it felt a bit lacking.

Unique-grade rewards couldn't be doubled by the Green Entry "Heavenly Dao Proclamation," but if he wanted to exchange it for another reward, he couldn't bear to part with it, as it was a unique-grade reward and perfectly suited him.

One could say that you can't have your cake and eat it too.

The purpose of this seclusion was also perfectly achieved.

His cultivation broke through to the Golden Immortal stage, and the "Green Imperial Banner" was also perfected by him. All that's left is to continue cultivating.

He didn't need combat power.

With hundreds of cultivation methods and the certainty of collecting all entries and the entire Heavenly Dao Entry Set in the future, his only task was to quickly improve his cultivation and strive to reach the Immortal Emperor stage.

He didn't need any opportunities either.

He had already filled all his opportunities to the brim.

He also didn't need to follow the rules and make sacrifices for the path to becoming an Immortal Emperor.

As someone from the Celestial Prison, he was not controlled by the Heavenly Dao and didn't need to follow any rules to ascend to the throne.

One could say that everything was already arranged, and all that was left was to quickly improve his cultivation and then swiftly ascend to the throne.

Once he broke through to the Immortal Emperor stage, he would be the strongest among Immortal Emperors. Aside from the complete Entry Set and the Heavenly Dao Entry Set, the fact that he didn't need to follow any rules was enough to instantly defeat all Immortal Emperors.

Being bound by a certain rule could be understood as having a fatal weakness.

But Chen Qiu didn't have that weakness.

This was a significant advantage.

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu, seated in the seclusion room of Cao Tian Palace, took a deep breath and took out a storage ring, placing it quietly on the ground. Inside were numerous "Cultivation Spirit Fruits" he had accumulated over the years.

One fruit could increase his cultivation progress by 10%.

He had gathered many of them.

All he needed to do was consume the fruits to easily raise his cultivation to a sufficient level.

Without hesitation, he picked up a fruit and put it in his mouth. It instantly dissolved, and after absorbing all the spiritual energy within, he quickly grabbed another fruit and stuffed it into his mouth.

Like this...

One year later!

When Chen Qiu opened his eyes again, his cultivation progress had reached—

"Cultivation": Peak Golden Immortal (100.0%).

Just one step away from Great Transcendent Immortal, and cultivating to that stage meant he was very close to becoming an Immortal Emperor. This was because the fruit increased his cultivation speed so rapidly that it took him half a year to stabilize his cultivation.

Over this period, his cultivation had advanced rapidly, but without proper preparation, there was a risk of an unstable foundation.

When his cultivation could no longer progress, he slowly opened his eyes. This time, without even bringing Fat Dragon and the others, he departed from Cao Tian Palace alone, heading towards the Extinction Immortal Realm. With his current cultivation, he could easily leave the Sixth Rank Immortal World.

Breaking free from the Heavenly Dao's shackles in the Sixth Rank Immortal World was as simple as defeating a single puppet at the peak of the Golden Immortal stage.

It would be a breeze.

In his life, he had never been defeated by a puppet of the same cultivation level, no matter how many there were. He alone was more than enough.

In fact, it was time to venture beyond the Seventh Rank Immortal World.

The Fourth and Fifth Rank Heavenly Tribulations were already the limit for the Sixth Rank Immortal World, including the Sixth Rank Heavenly Tribulation, which was formed by the Extinction Immortal Realm drawing upon the power of multiple Sixth Rank Heavenly Tribulations. The Sixth Rank Heavenly Tribulation was the absolute limit.

The Seventh Rank Heavenly Tribulation was beyond the capabilities of the Sixth Rank Immortal World; he had to go to the Seventh Rank Immortal World.

After effortlessly shattering the Heavenly Dao's shackles, Chen Qiu's body turned into a white light and vanished from the Sixth Rank Immortal World. He soon reappeared before a city in the Seventh Rank Immortal World, entering it and stopping in front of a blacksmith's shop.

"You've got quite a range of skills, being both a cook and a blacksmith."

"You, on the other hand, can survive anywhere you go, even if you lose all your cultivation, you can still find a way to feed yourself."

That's right!

The man in the blacksmith's shop, naked and swinging a large hammer with all his might, was none other than Jiang Buying. Chen Qiu took out several Ten Thousand Year Frost stones from his chest and threw them to Jiang Buying, asking him to cool down before speaking in a hoarse voice.

"Did you know I was coming here?"

"Not at all."

Jiang Buying was slightly out of breath as he took the Ten Thousand Year Frost stones and applied them to his body to cool down. Sweat dripped onto the frost stones, creating a sizzling mist. He then turned to Chen Qiu, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a towel around his neck, and smiled, "This is a real coincidence."

"I was just thinking that when you come out of seclusion next time, you'll be ready to ascend again. By then, you'll definitely have to come to the Seventh Rank Immortal World. The Sixth Rank Immortal World can no longer accommodate you, so I thought I'd come to the Seventh Rank Immortal World early and wait for you."

"I didn't expect to not only wait for you but also to run into you."

"But I didn't expect you to come out of seclusion so soon. I thought you'd wait until you broke through to the Peak Golden Immortal stage before coming out. I didn't expect to be idle during this time, so I thought I'd find something to do, with room and board provided. It's pretty good."

"Wait a minute?"

Jiang Buying suddenly froze in place, "You've reached the Peak Golden Immortal stage? Weren't you at the initial stage of the Heaven Immortal stage last time?"

"It's fine, it's fine."

"So, you're here to ascend?"

"Mhm."

Chen Qiu nodded slightly. Only a year had passed since his last ascension, so he didn't plan to contact Badan and the others yet. After all, how many white entry slips could he collect in just a year?

He needed to give it more time.

He would break through first.

"That's quite a speed."

Jiang Buying muttered, twiddling his fingers, "At this rate, it won't be long before you reach the Eleventh Rank Immortal World."

Only those with status and influence could go to the Eleventh Rank Immortal World, of course, referring to those who got there on their own merits. Those who were natives or had snuck in were not included.

The Twelfth Rank Immortal World had yet to be determined.

Before the Heavenly Dao awakened, the winner would be decided, and the victor of the twelve Immortal Worlds would become the Twelfth Rank Heaven Realm.

"That's good."

Chen Qiu nodded slightly, "After I finish ascending, don't leave. There's something I need to consult you about."

The Seventh Rank Immortal World was already considered a high-rank Immortal World, and he indeed had many things to consult with Jiang Buying. As for his cultivation speed, it would only get faster from here on out, all thanks to his fruits, many of which were still unused.

His World Tree produced a batch of fruits every three months, with 200 fruits per batch.

Over the years, he had produced many fruits, and after providing for the disciples of Cao Tian Sect, there were still over 3,000 fruits left.

Each fruit could increase cultivation progress by 10%, and with just 90 fruits, his cultivation had soared from the initial stage of the Golden Immortal to the Peak Golden Immortal. The remaining fruits were more than enough to catapult him directly to the Immortal Emperor stage.

The main reason was that consolidating cultivation required time. If there was no need to consolidate cultivation or ascend, he could have become an Immortal Emperor immediately.

The World Tree was a divine-level entry among the rainbow entries; it could make one an Immortal Emperor without following the rules, and it could even be planted in the Void.

However, its flaw was evident.

It could only enhance cultivation, and once one reached the Immortal Emperor stage, it had no further impact on combat power.

The Heavenly Dao would awaken in a thousand years.

In that time, he could elevate all the Cao Tian Sect members to the Half-step Immortal Emperor stage. If he arranged the rules accordingly, they would all become Immortal Emperors. But he wanted to try something else: returning to the Greater Xia Kingdom with this cultivation and defeating the Spirit Transformation Puppet—would that still count as escaping the Celestial Prison?

If it did,

Even the rules would need to be changed, and they would all become Immortal Emperors.

Chen Qiu didn't chat with Jiang Buying for long. Instead, he got up, left the city, and found a remote area in the wilderness. He slowly closed his eyes, gathering the power of heaven and earth to prepare for ascension. However, just as the tribulation clouds began to gather above him,

The clouds suddenly dispersed.

It was as if a small lotus bud had just emerged, only to have its tip plucked and boiled for soup.

His cultivation progress instantly reached—

- Cultivation: Initial stage of Great Transcendent Immortal (0.0%).

-

Chen Qiu stood silently, expressionless. Once again, he had broken through a major cultivation stage without ascending, directly reaching the Great Transcendent Immortal stage. This was not the Heavenly Dao showing favor; he had experienced this situation many times before.

Without a doubt, the intensity of his Heavenly Tribulation was insufficient to bring down a Seventh Rank Tribulation.

So, he accumulated his Heavenly Tribulation once again, preparing to gather a Seventh Rank Tribulation to strike him down in one go.

He had already become accustomed to this.

Shaking his head, he didn't say anything and immediately shot towards the city. He had some matters to consult with Jiang Buying, and his Tribulation Cloud had just barely formed before dissipating, leaving almost no commotion and attracting no spectators.

Only Jiang Buying stood at a distance, intently watching the spectacle. When he saw the Tribulation Cloud appear and instantly dissipate, he turned to Chen Qiu, who had appeared beside him, and asked in puzzlement, "It's over?"

"Mm-hmm."

"What about the Heavenly Tribulation?"

"I'll save it for the next time and strike it all at once."

"Alright." Jiang Buying shrugged nonchalantly, "The Heavenly Tribulation here always seems to be at your whim, striking however you please. I'm used to it by now. But didn't you have a question for me?"

"What's the realm beyond Great Transcendent Immortal?"

"You don't know?"

Jiang Buying was a bit surprised. "Didn't the Mock Heaven Sect's heritage mention even such basic information?"

"No," Chen Qiu shook his head. "The Mock Heaven Sect left almost no heritage. You should know better than me about the events of those days. There probably wasn't much chance to leave behind extensive heritage information."

"I understand that," Jiang Buying said, a bit puzzled. "But there definitely was time to leave behind heritage information. After all, there was time to come up with and execute those seven plans. It's just that the Heavenly Dao might have erased it. That would be a plausible explanation."

"Then I'll tell you."

"On the path to seeking immortality, there are three major milestones. The first is the Immortal Human stage, although the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages are also significant milestones, but the most definitive one is the Immortal Human stage."

"Once you reach the Immortal Human stage, it means you've already attained immortality."

"The entire person undergoes a complete transformation, becoming entirely different from before, even transcending the boundaries of life as we know it. The person becomes incredibly pure."

"The second milestone is the Peak Celestial Immortal stage, also known as the True Immortal stage. Nearly ninety percent of those who attain immortality are stuck at this cultivation level. The Peak Celestial Immortal stage is the upper limit for the vast majority."

"Let's not mention the Tide Immortal Plane, a polluted immortal world with extremely harsh conditions for breaking through to the True Immortal stage."

"Even on a normal continent, to break through to the True Immortal stage, one needs a Rainbow Entry. The most accessible way for ordinary people to obtain a Rainbow Entry is to choose a rule and adhere to it for ten thousand years."

"But here's the problem. When you become aware of this information or know that you need to follow a rule to obtain a Rainbow Entry, how much lifespan do you have left?"

"The Celestial Immortal stage does have a long lifespan, but most cultivators who reach this stage don't have much time left. Ten thousand years is not a short period."

"Secondly..."

"Living a peaceful life for ten thousand years is, in itself, a challenging endeavor."

"Thirdly..."

"Not only do you have to survive for ten thousand years, but you must also adhere to the chosen rule throughout this entire period without the slightest slack. This is an even more difficult task."

"Only after achieving these three points can one have the possibility of breaking through to the True Immortal stage. This signifies that the True Immortal stage is an extremely high threshold, and many cultivators are stuck at this threshold for their entire lives, only able to touch the door but never able to cross it."

"However, once you break through, the sky's the limit. Whether it's the Golden Immortal or the Great Transcendent Immortal stage, all that's needed is to reach the required cultivation level. There are no stringent conditions like those for the True Immortal stage."

"These are the first two milestones—the Immortal Human and True Immortal stages."

Chen Qiu's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he contemplated, "So, the third milestone is the Immortal Emperor stage?"

"Cough, cough."

Jiang Buying suddenly coughed violently, clearly caught off guard. After a while, he calmed down and looked up at Chen Qiu with a hint of resentment, "The term 'milestone' refers to the gap between ordinary people and prodigies. At this point, there's a significant disparity."

"How many people can reach the Immortal Emperor stage? It's not entirely wrong to call it a milestone, but it's definitely not a definitive one."

"The realms beyond the Great Transcendent Immortal are—"

"Celestial Immortal, Immortal Lord, Saint Immortal, Venerable Immortal, and Immortal Emperor."

"There are five realms in total."

"And the third definitive milestone is the Immortal Lord stage. Reaching the Immortal Lord stage means you've earned the right to compete for the title of Immortal Emperor. Thus, the Immortal Lord stage is a significant milestone."

"Between the Venerable Immortal and Immortal Emperor stages, there's another realm called the Quasi-Immortal Emperor, also known as the Half-step Immortal Emperor."

"It's essentially the peak of the Venerable Immortal stage."

"The only reason one can't become an Immortal Emperor is that someone else has already achieved it through the same rule. But they are the backup for the Immortal Emperor. As soon as that person dies, you can take their place, and the second person to reach this cultivation level through the same rule becomes the next Immortal Emperor."

"And as for you, Chen Qiu..."

Jiang Buying looked at Chen Qiu with a serious expression, "You're very close to the Immortal Emperor stage. At your current pace, you'll break through to the Immortal Emperor stage not in a thousand years, but within a hundred years."

"The Immortal Emperor stage is the pinnacle of cultivation!"

"Upon reaching the Immortal Emperor stage, one is almost immortal!"

"This is the ultimate goal that countless cultivators strive for in their lifetimes."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end